Home Office

Asylum: Community Development

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to develop engagement forums with asylum seeker and refugee communities.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We regularly engage with stakeholders through standalone meetings and various forums such as the Asylum Strategic Engagement Group, which includes organisations who both speak for and represent asylum seekers. The Asylum Lived Experience Advisory Panel (ALEAP) is a regular engagement forum, which enables refugees with recent lived experience of the UK asylum system an opportunity to discuss the impact of Home Office policies and processes across their asylum journey. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules.

Asylum: Churches

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what statistical evidence is held by the Home Office to support the claim made byformer Home Secretaryin the Daily Telegraph on 3 February that between 6 September 2022 and 13 November 2023, she “became aware of churches around the country facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims”.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Every asylum claim is determined on its individual merits in line with our published policy and guidance. There are a small number of recent cases which have raised concerns that not all conversions are necessarily genuine and it is right we work with faith leaders to better understand these cases.We are unable to comment further on the former Home Secretary’s remarks. She was reshuffled on 13th November 2023.

Asylum: Community Development

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that asylum seekers housed in asylum accommodation have access to free and accessible community spaces to build social connections.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office contracted accommodation providers deliver induction briefings and information packs which include signposting to voluntary sector services alongside local leisure and recreational facilities and services, for all new arriving asylum seekers.The AASC Requirements below give a detailed breakdown of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect:http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf. Additionally, all asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help, where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services.AASC Requirements (pdf, 1227.9KB)

Immigration

Lord Reid of Cardowan: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact ofimmigration on (1) public services, (2) housing, and (3) infrastructure.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government has been clear that net migration is too high and is determined to bring it down to sustainable levels to help protect public services and housing against unsustainable pressure.In May 2023, the Government announced measures to restrict the number of overseas students able to bring dependants. On 4 December 2023, the Home Secretary announced a new package of measures to reduce net migration further. These include limitations on family dependants being brought in by care workers and senior care workers; increasing the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route; commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee to review the Shortage Occupation List; and raising the minimum income requirement for Family visas progressively over the next few years. These measures are now being implemented and were the subject of a WMS by the Minister for Legal Migration and the Border on January 30th.Taken together with the measures the Government announced in May 2023, this means that around 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year would not be able to do so in future.We keep all our immigration policies under review and work closely with key government departments to ensure that the immigration system best serves the UK, reflects the public’s priorities and protects public services against undue pressure.A full analysis of the impact of the package will be published in a regulatory impact assessment in due course.

Immigration

Lord Reid of Cardowan: To ask His Majesty's Government whatwas the level of immigration to the UK for the past year; and how many individuals were granted visas for (1) work, (2) study, (3) family reunification, and (4) asylum.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release]. Data on work and study visas granted are published in table Vis_D02, of the ‘Entry clearance detailed dataset’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release]. Data on family reunification visas granted are published in table Fam_D01 and data on the number of people applying for and being granted asylum are published in table Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#asylum-and-resettlement]. Information on how to use these datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to 2023 Q4.Not everyone granted a visa will become an ‘immigrant’ as per the United Nations definition of a long-term migrant. Information regarding immigration and emigration is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ [https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance].Asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (xlsx, 10141.2KB)

Immigration Controls

Lord Reid of Cardowan: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take toensure effective border control and management of illegal immigration, in particular addressing any gaps in enforcement or security protocols.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Due to the steps we have taken, small boat arrivals fell by 36% in 2023 compared to the previous year; Albanian arrivals were down by over 90%. This reflects our continuing work with the French Government to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings from taking place.Immigration Enforcement is taking robust action to tackle illegal migration through:returning more than 25,000 people in 2023 who have no right to be in the UK, including more than 5,700 Albanians;increasing the number of illegal working visits by over 68% as of September 2023, compared to the same period in 2022; anddisrupting organised crime groups, resulting in 246 arrests of people smugglers in 2023.In terms of security protocols, the government does not routinely comment on individual cases or operational matters. Our highest priority is protecting the safety and security of this country, which is why the UK has world-class police, security and intelligence agencies and a robust counter-terrorism framework in place. As you would expect, security checks are already undertaken for all those identified arriving through illegal migration routes and law enforcement have the powers to deal with them appropriately.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they can give to organisations providing support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine who want to refurbish boats confiscated from illegal English Channel crossings to help aid the demand for small boats for medical evacuations along the Dnipro River.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The migrant vessels, which this campaign is endeavouring to persuade the Home Office to send to Ukraine, are totally unsuitable for the purposes suggested. They have been assessed by Home Office experts as valueless from a military perspective and lethally dangerous otherwise, with at least 20 deaths linked to them since August 2023 alone.The Home Office’s opposition to sending these vessels to Ukraine is well-founded and is informed by the assessment of border security and military experts.The UK remains firmly committed to supporting Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression. To date, we have provided almost £12bn in total military, humanitarian, and economic support. This includes £2.5bn in military aid for 2024/25, an increase of £200m on the previous two years. We continue to work closely with the Ukrainian Government, together with our international partners, to ensure that their Armed Forces receive the support they need.

Ministry of Justice

Asylum: Appeals

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government how much of theirlegal aid budget is spent on asylum seekers’ appeals, in (1) percentage, and (2) gross, terms.

Lord Bellamy: Funding for legal aid is on a demand led basis, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) does not have a specific budget allocation for delivery of legal aid services in relation to specific categories of law. The table below sets out the total expenditure, on a closed case basis, in relation to asylum seekers’ appeals in gross terms and as a percentage of overall legal aid expenditure for the last 10 years.Financial YearAsylum Appeal Expenditure (£M)Total Legal Aid Expenditure (£M)Percentage of Legal Aid Expenditure spent on Asylum Appeals2013-14132,0170.6%2014-15101,8210.6%2015-16121,6500.7%2016-17171,6151.1%2017-18171,6521.0%2018-19161,6651.0%2019-20181,6791.1%2020-21121,3450.9%2021-22121,6560.7%2022-23131,8350.7%Legal aid is generally available for asylum cases, including appeals, under paragraph 30 of Schedule 1, Part 1 Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO). However, not all cases will qualify for legal aid as eligibility is subject to an assessment of legal merits of the case and of the applicant’s financial resources.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bellamy on 5 March (HL2679), andin the light of recent reports of mitigating circumstances such as acute illness appear to have been overlooked, whether they intend to amend the training provided to magistrates to specify more clearly their powers to draw mitigation to the attention of prosecutors.

Lord Bellamy: To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lady Chief Justice has the statutory responsibility for judicial training, including magistrates, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College.Any training provided to magistrates on this matter is therefore for the independent judiciary to determine and it is not for the Government to comment.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Russia: Private Military and Security Companies

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Ukrainian special forces are combatting Russian mercenaries on Sudanese soil.

Lord Benyon: We are aware of reports of external support to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in the conflict in Sudan. The UK condemns any actions that further fuel the brutal conflict in Sudan. The UK strongly supports an immediate end to the hostilities in Sudan both for the sake of its own people and the wider region. We continue to place emphasis in all our international engagement on the importance of neutrality and of supporting a ceasefire and civilian political transition.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what are their priorities ahead of this year's United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Lord Benyon: The High-level Meeting (HLM) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) offers an excellent opportunity to catalyse global progress. The UK's priority is a political declaration that sets a high level of ambition across human health, animal health and environmental sectors. The UK is particularly keen to promote more equitable global access to antimicrobials and their appropriate stewardship.

Egypt: Gaza

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of a new construction site, which includes a high wall,on the border betweenGaza and Egypt; and what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt aboutthis construction.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have not had discussions with the Egyptian government on the subject of these reports.Egypt is a key regional partner in supporting the Government's response to the crisis, and we welcome efforts by Egypt in getting aid into, and British Nationals out of, Gaza.

Russia: Palestinians

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the purpose of the meeting held from 29 February to 2 March in Moscow between Palestinian organisations; and what new diplomatic initiatives they are pursuing to end the Israel/Gaza conflict.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the meeting that took place recently in Moscow between Palestinian groups.We continue to call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.Vital elements for a lasting peace include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tenth anniversary of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and what steps they have taken to implement its recommendations.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of human rights violations and the humanitarian situation in North Korea and whether they intend to raise concerns at the UN Security Council and at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as documented by the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the country. The UK has responded to the report's recommendations by continuing to press for an annual debate in the UN Security Council, and working to secure a robust resolution on the DPRK at the UN Human Rights Council. On 17 August 2023, at the first UNSC open meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK since 2017, the UK highlighted inextricable links between the DPRK's human rights violations and its illegal weapons programme, and called on the DPRK to engage with the UN Special Rapporteur. This year, the UK will again work closely with partners to secure a strong resolution which stresses the importance of following-up recommendations from the COI Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the DPRK.

China: Cryptocurrencies

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deter Chinese criminal gangs using cryptocurrencies to launder significant sums of money; whether they have made any assessment of the scale of the problem and of the nature and likely efficacy of Chinese anti money laundering laws.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has taken steps to build resilience to economic crime abroad, and passed legislation at home to respond to current and emerging threats. This includes responding to the risks posed by cryptoassets, which we assess remain an important facilitator for criminal transactions, as set out in the National Crime Agency's National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime Threats. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023) introduced enhanced powers to seize, freeze, convert and recover cryptoassets. The UK remains vigilant to emerging threats, regardless of where they originate, and will continue to respond comprehensively.

Iran: Hezbollah

Lord Polak: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent Iranian media reports that Iran is supplying Hezbollah with ‘Almas’ anti-tank missiles.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn Iran's destabilising political, financial, and military support to proscribed groups, including Lebanese Hizballah. We have made clear to Iran that it must cease proliferating advanced weapons systems throughout the region. We will continue to work to disrupt Iran's destabilising activity in Lebanon and the wider region, including by holding Iran to account in multilateral fora and through sanctions; addressing Iranian weapons proliferation; and strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Baroness Nye: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have reviewedcontingency plans for British citizens and embassy staff in Myanmar to address any possible collapse or defeat of the Myanmar military.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO requires all our Missions overseas to have the right crisis practices, procedures, systems and structures in place to respond to a range of scenarios overseas. The British Embassy Yangon has such plans which are regularly reviewed. We continue to monitor the situation in Myanmar closely. We advise all British Nationals in Myanmar to pay close attention to the FCDO's travel advice for Myanmar.

Sudan: Ports

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United Arab Emirates on the seizing of two ports the Sudanese Red Sea coast through proxy forces, and that they have plans to build a third port.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are not aware of the United Arab Emirates seizing any ports on the Red Sea coast.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the severity of the current conflict in North Kivu between M23 rebels and Democratic Republic of the Congo forces; and what diplomatic action they are taking to support a regional peace deal.

Lord Benyon: The UK is concerned by intensification of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its humanitarian consequences. We continue to urge all parties to deliver on their commitments, agreed through regional peace processes. I [Lord Benyon] visited Kinshasa this week and discussed the matter with President Tshisekedi and other senior ministers in DRC. In February, the UK Great Lakes envoy joined a UN-led trip to the region, where Envoys emphasised the need for political solutions and a return peace processes. We continue, alongside partners, to promote confidence building measures and peace building activity.

Cabinet Office

Infrastructure: Cybersecurity

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the data breach experienced by Southern Water as a result of a cyber-attack, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of existing cyber security regulations for UK critical infrastructure.

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the efficacy of existing cyber-resilience regulations relating tothe UK’s critical national infrastructure.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Cyber Strategy 2022 set outcomes for critical national infrastructure (CNI) (in the private and public sector) to better understand & manage cyber risk and minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur. In addition, at CyberUK 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister announced specific and ambitious cyber resilience targets for all CNI sectors (public and private sector) to meet by 2025.Over the past year, the Cabinet Office has been progressing foundational work to support the creation of common but flexible resilience standards across CNI and do more on the assurance of CNI, including cyber assurance preparedness, by 2030. This includes work to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of all regulation that applies to CNI, including (but not limited to) NIS regulations, and to bring more private sector businesses working in CNI within the scope of cyber resilience regulations.The Government is also committed to ensuring cyber security in the public sector, which is why GovAssure was launched in April 2023. Under GovAssure, government organisations regularly review the effectiveness of their cyber defences against common cyber vulnerabilities and attack methods. We are currently evaluating the first year’s assessments. GovAssure will enable government organisations to accurately assess their levels of cyber resilience across their critical services, highlight priority areas for improvement and provide the Government with a strategic view of cyber capability, risk and resilience across the sector.

Vetting

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are currently awaiting security vetting by United Kingdom Security Vetting.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people employed by the private sector are currently awaiting security vetting by United Kingdom Security Vetting.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average wait time for each of the eight levels of security vetting by United Kingdom Security Vetting, from 'Baseline Personnel Security Standard' to 'Enhanced Developed Vetting'.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As Minister for State at the Cabinet Office I am able to provide a response in relation to National Security Vetting (NSV). UKSV acts as the service provider for NSV across His Majesty’s Government (HMG). NSV remains a separate and distinct process to recruitment and onboarding processes and provides an additional personnel assurance within both public and private sector for roles and projects that require access to the sensitive assets and Protectively Marked Materials (PMM).The government does not comment on the workings of the NSV process at the strategic or tactical level for security reasons and thereby details of numbers awaiting NSV cannot be shared. However the following information may be useful.The Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) is not a level of NSV, nor conducted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV); it is a separate pre-employment check conducted locally by recruiting departments. As this is a localised departmental element, no central record of data for BPSS is held within HMG at this time.Following a stabilisation programme initiated in 2023, there have been sustained and stable improvements in performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPI) across all service levels of National Security Vetting clearances which includes Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV). Across core services:Accreditation Checks (AC), a level of NSV, primarily used by the aviation industry, are being completed in five days or less.The KPIs for both CTC and SC are 25 days, on 29th February 2024 96% of cases were being processed within that time frame.The KPI for DV is 95 days; on 29th February 2024 93.48% of initial DV cases were being processed within that time frame.The Performance Indicator for DV Renewals is also 95 days; on 29th February 2024 13.78% of these cases were being processed within that time frame. However we expect that DV renewals submitted from 1st April 2024 will be delivered within the KPI of 95 days.The requirements for security cleared roles across HMG vary and are set by individual department and partner agencies dependent on duties and level of access to Protectively Marked Materials (PMM). It is, therefore, not possible to provide confirmation of the performance of NSV in relation to specific roles. In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters, including average actual processing times.

Department for Business and Trade

Metals: Recycling

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they are having with representatives from the metals recycling industry about the importance of the free and fair trade of scrap steel.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK has an abundant supply of scrap. Officials are in regular contact with metals recycling sector representatives on a range of issues, including trade. We are paying close attention to how the scrap market is responding to new domestic opportunities on high quality scrap for electric arc furnaces.The Government supports free and fair trade and takes the control of waste exports and our international obligations very seriously. The export of scrap is subject to strict controls and exporters are required to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout shipment and recycling.

UK Trade with EU: Productivity

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the fall in the UK goods trade on national productivity, particularlyin sectors affected by any barriers to trade resulting from Brexit.

Lord Offord of Garvel: Since leaving the EU, the Department for Business and Trade has secured free trade deals with 73 countries in addition to our EU partners, which accounted for £1.1 trillion UK trade in 2022, and simplified import tariffs to lower costs for businesses and households. The UK’s total trade with the world (including goods and services) increased by £36bn (inflation adjusted) in 2023 compared to 2018. Productivity in the UK's Manufacturing sector grew by 10% between 2016 and 2022, the highest manufacturing productivity growth in the G7.

Foreign Investment in UK: USA

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the promises of investment made by the US President in his 12 April 2023 address at Ulster University.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK Government and Invest Northern Ireland hosted the NI Investment Summit in September, which was a great success in showcasing Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths to around 200 global investors. A US trade delegation visited Norther Ireland in October, during which the New York State Common Retirement Fund announced a new $50m investment into companies based in Northern Ireland Our network in the US continues to promote Northern Ireland as a prime investment destination. UK Government ministers are participating in a series of engagements around St Patrick's Day to strengthen the vital transatlantic partnership between the US and Northern Ireland.

Iron and Steel

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to engage with UK producers and importers of steel products, in response to the Trade Remedies Authority's Statement of Intended Final Determination, published 21 February.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Officials within the Department for Business and Trade take a proactive approach when engaging with industry and encourage them to share their views directly with the Trade Remedies Authority. Stakeholders who are formally registered as interested parties to the extension review can submit additional information and evidence to the Trade Remedies Authority.

Iron and Steel: Trade Remedies

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the Trade Remedies Authority’s reviews into Hot Rolled Flat and Coil steel (Category 1 products), and the potential impact of Tata Steel UK's decarbonisation plans on the UK's steel import demand, what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK's trade remedies framework remains responsive and effective in addressing both current and emerging challenges in the steel sector.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: As part of reforming the trade remedies framework, legislation was laid in September 2023, which created additional flexibility for Ministers with respect to decisions regarding the steel safeguard. On 9 February 2024 the Trade Remedies Authority initiated a ‘TRQ review’ and a ‘suspension assessment’ of product category 1 of the steel safeguard measure. As their investigations remain ongoing, I cannot comment further nor prejudice their final recommendation.

Department of Health and Social Care

Audiology: Paediatrics

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government, as part of the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme, how many reviews of patient records have been undertaken, and how many children have been identified as requiring reassessment.

Lord Markham: The Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme is working to systematically introduce reviews, undertaken by subject matter experts, across the seven regions of the National Health Service in England. In the coming months, we will have further details of patient information reviewed, and the number of children requiring reassessment.

Montelukast: Side Effects

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of any dangers to some users of the commonly prescribed asthma drug montelukast.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the use ofmontelukast in the UK, what assessmentthey havemade of the US Food and Drug Administration's issuing a “black box warning” in March 2020 about serious mental health side effects of the drug and restricting its use for allergic rhinitis.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the level of awareness by doctors ofany dangers of the commonly prescribed drug montelukast, as highlighted by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2020, that the use of the drug resulted in “a wide variety of mental health side effects have been reported, including completed suicides".

Lord Markham: Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what progress they have made on reducing variation in breast screening services since 2019.

Lord Markham: The NHS Breast Screening Programmes were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some breast screening offices took the decision to pause services temporarily to support the pandemic response. All breast cancer screening services have now recovered from the pandemic, and have no backlog of people waiting to be screened.Increasing uptake and reducing health inequalities remains paramount as part of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to directly support early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Regional commissioners are working closely with cancer alliances and cancer charities to develop uptake plans which address their specific populations needs.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Caine on 12 March (HL3032), to specify all the changes made to the protocol by the Windsor Framework; and whether Article 6 of the Acts of Union is affected by the protocol or the Windsor Framework.

Lord Caine: The Government’s position on the Windsor Framework, and its interaction with Article 6 of the Acts of Union, is set out in full in the Command Papers of 27 February 2023 and 31 January 2024.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for designating a standard sign for use on highways to indicate the location of electric vehicles charging stations; and whether they have any plans to initiate such a scheme.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Department has published guidance on the design and use of a standard sign indicating the location of on-street EV charging bays, and conditions of their use, in the Traffic Signs Manual. The Government recognises that traffic authorities must strike an appropriate balance between the provision of adequate information and over-provision of traffic signs. The Department’s guidance should help traffic authorities deliver this balance. Best practice guidance regarding the provision of signage for EV chargepoints has also been included in Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 1899, published by the British Standards Institution in 2022.

Ministry of Defence

NATO: Gender

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have nominated a candidate to sit on the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives Executive Committee.

The Earl of Minto: Although the UK has not nominated a candidate to the Executive Committee this year, we are represented on the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives (NCGP) and are working closely with the Chair to formulate the programme of work for the next two years. The UK has been instrumental in updating the NCGP Terms of Reference to increase its influence and strengthen the Women, Peace and Security agenda at NATO.

Nimrod Aircraft: Accidents

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byThe Earl of Minto on 27 November 2023 (HL200), what assessment they have made of the accuracy of report of the Board of Inquiry into the Nimrod crash on 2 September 1995, taking into consideration the rules pertaining to such boards of inquiry at that time, and its finding that Flight Lieutenant Dominic Gilbert was to blame for the crash.

The Earl of Minto: It is not possible to re-consider aspects of Boards of Inquiry held in the past without full reinvestigation of the original incident. It would not be in the public interest to re-open any such inquiries, where it is deemed there are no lessons to be identified for the Service, such as when aircraft are no longer in service. The likely complexity of such work due to the passage of time and the need to re-allocate Departmental resources are also significant considerations.In 1997 Defence Ministers directed that BOI should not be permitted to attribute blame or negligence in cases of unnatural death or serious injury. Subsequently, in 2008, Boards of Inquiry were replaced by Service Inquiries under the Armed Forces Act 2006, separating accident investigation from the operational chain of command.Service Inquiries (SI) are not permitted to find negligence or apportion blame, in order to encourage an open reporting culture, and to ensure that full and frank evidence be provided to SI panels.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Cybersecurity: Training

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help businesses provide advanced cyber skills training to staff.

Viscount Camrose: The National Cyber Strategy sets out the importance of reducing cyber risks to businesses. To do this, the Government is supporting the UK Cyber Security Council to define the skills and knowledge needed for cyber roles. The Government is also funding numerous targeted training initiatives such as Cyber Ready and Upskill in Cyber to upskill and retrain those in the workforce, as well as the government-funded Skills Bootcamp opportunities highlighted through our recent Advanced Digital Skills campaign. This is alongside our Cyber Essentials scheme which supports businesses to implement essential technical controls on cyber security.

Cybersecurity

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish draft legislation incorporating proposed reforms to the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018.

Viscount Camrose: The government remains committed to updating the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018 (“NIS Regulations”) as soon as parliamentary time allows. Whilst we wait for parliamentary time, the government is developing improvements which can be delivered without legislative changes, including: Updating guidance to NIS competent authorities.Developing potential further measures to strengthen the proposed package of reforms.Identifying ways to strengthen the capabilities of NIS competent authorities.Engaging with managed services providers in the UK to assist their future transition to the NIS Regulations.  These actions build on the government’s existing plans, as set out in the £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy, to improve cyber resilience across the economy.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Lord Morrow: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will promote social fragmentation rather than social cohesion.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government aims to use the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to create a discussion about the role that living heritage of all sorts plays in the identity, pride and cohesion of all parts of the UK. To support this, we are taking an inclusive approach to the ratification and seeking to ensure as many people and groups as possible can be involved, which has included launching a public consultation on details of the ratification.

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Lord Morrow: To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement of the proposed ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, what is their reason for not proposing a threshold of longevity for recognition of a cultural practice.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government has taken on board guidance from UNESCO which defines Intangible Cultural Heritage as ‘traditional, contemporary, and living at the same time’. In line with this, we want to ensure that newer practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage can be recognised as well as more long-standing ones.

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: Ulster Scots Language

Lord Morrow: To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement of the proposed ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, what steps they will take to ensure that they discharge their obligations under that convention in relation to the Ulster Scots community in a manner that is consistent with the recognition of Ulster Scots as a national minority of the United Kingdom under the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government is taking an inclusive approach to the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage across the whole UK. We want to engage with everyone, including the Ulster Scots community, and to provide the conditions to allow everyone to express, preserve, and develop their culture and identity within the UK’s implementation of the framework of the 2003 Convention.